


Facades of Love

by travelingdinos



Category: Call the Midwife
Genre: Angst, Christmas, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Holiday, Hong Kong, Love, One Shot, Patsy’s return, Reunion, Scotland, Separation, Travel, Wedding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-28
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:54:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26688496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/travelingdinos/pseuds/travelingdinos
Summary: Hong Kong AU.Patsy has returned from Hong Kong on the night of Barbara’s wedding, but without any warning. Delia isn’t exactly happy that she didn’t send any letters. While she was gone she got an offer to work in Scotland, Delia has officially became a midwife, Phyllis and Trixie know about the nature of their relationship.Pls I suck at summaries, see end for notes.
Relationships: Barbara Gilbert & Tom Hereward, Barbara Gilbert/Tom Hereward, Fred Buckle & Violet Buckle, Fred Buckle/Violet Buckle, Patsy Mount & Delia Busby, Patsy Mount/Delia Busby, Valerie Dyer & Lucille Anderson, Valerie Dyer/Lucille Anderson
Comments: 4
Kudos: 22





	Facades of Love

_It was a picturesque December night, people bundled up in fleece coats and wedding attire. It was the night of Tom and Barbara’s wedding. The street being filled with dulcet laughter and love. The bustling celebration of Barbara getting married let the gloom of her departure from Nonnatus be illusive. Delia could not feel the joy everyone was sharing, nor the excitement of her own future wedding day. She is not necessarily a jealous person, so she hides behind her facade of being the feisty and cheerful nurse. But that does not make her any less frustrated that she can’t acknowledge her relationship with Patsy alongside everyone else._

(Voiceover) At times, the present seems most perfect when its seeds lie in the past. And others, life is rendered flawless when we look towards the future, glimpsing, from within one golden moment, all the joy the days to come might hold. We cannot stand still because the world keeps turning. Every year must give way to the next and its stories must be folded, tucked away like children’s clothes, outgrown, cherished and never forgotten. 1962 was a year of great change at Nonnatus House. But there's always change, everywhere. There are always new faces, new tears to shed, new joys to invest in.

(Voiceover) Yet the circle of love is not broken.

Just as she was about to get onto the lit carousel, Delia’s eyes were darting around, not staying long enough to let tears well. But they did. Not believing it at first, she saw a familiar flash of slender red hair under the bridge. It couldn’t be. Patsy hadn’t written in months. Surely she would inform Nonnatus that she was returning. Tears started to prickle the young nurse’s eyes, emotions lingering between anger and solace. Her feet taking her towards the astonishingly pale blue eyes before she knew it.

(Voiceover) It expands.

As she took a beeline towards the bridge, Delia took Patsy’s hand to get them out of sight.

The red head struggled to meet the brunette’s probing eyes, “I got on the boat the day after his funeral.” she established.

“I didn’t know. I didn’t know you were coming back.” Delia shaked her head in disbelief.

Patsy felt the need to console her girlfriend when she realized what her silence meant. “I did... I always did. And wherever I go next… you're coming with me.”

Neither of the women checked for wandering eyes before pulling the other in for a kiss. A kiss that was pursued too long for the safety of their livelihoods. Delia ended up breaking it off and walking towards the celebration.

“Babs finally had her big day.” Delia said walking alongside Patsy.

Not trusting her own voice, Patsy did not reply. Her tongue felt caught in her throat, in bitterness that she would never experience that, that Delia could never experience her own wedding.

“Do you want to go settle in, or rather celebrate with everyone? But I’m sure Barbara and everyone would be forgiving, hint you just got off nearly two months aboard a ship.” Delia extended.

“I would love to stay out, but I am rather-” cut off by a familiar perky nurse. Trixie!

“PATSY!” the blonde yelled as she threw herself off the on going carousel, engulfing Patsy in a bear-like hug.

“You didn’t tell us you were coming back? When did you get here?” questions coming out faster than Trixie’s normal speed.

Untangling herself from the suffocating hug, the tired woman replied, “Trixie, you know I would love more than anything to catch up, but I am still quite seasick and don’t think I could stomach going in circles right now. I’m also dead on one’s feet from the journey.”

“Ah, well I’m sure Deels won’t mind helping you unpack. Living arrangements have been changed.” she winked.

As Trixie’s bottle blonde hair blended into the snow, Patsy was left dumbfounded, unable to move.

“Some things may have changed since you were gone…” the shorter woman said carefully.

———

The yellow glow radiating from the carousel lit up the room. Snowflakes were falling from the sky, creating a thick white blanket over the usually grey courtyard and a chilly breeze. Delia was lying on Patsy’s chest, taking in the sound of her heartbeat and quiet breathing.

Ignoring the looming truth she would have to tell Delia, “Deels, what did Trixie mean?’

“Hm?” not moving her head.

“She said something about rooms being switched around. And you didn’t seem to be phased when she suggested you help me unpack.”

Patsy could now tell the younger woman was biting her cheek, a habit she had when she didn’t want to tell the truth or struggling to control her emotions.

“She knows about us.” still scared to look up.

“Oh..” her walls started to go up as panic filled her chest.

“I’m so sorry Pats, I was so careful.” the younger woman’s voice on the edge of breaking.

Careful? What did she mean careful? As much as Delia hated having to keep their relationship a secret, she would surely never do anything that would risk someone finding out.

Patsy’s silence was anxiety inducing.

“I- When you were gone, I would… sneak into your old bed. I thought Trixie was always at her AA meetings then, so I didn’t worry about checking to see if she was in the room. I would sometimes fall asleep when I thought she was at a meeting or a long delivery, sometimes forgetting to get up early enough. But she saw me a few times and started to put the pieces together. It was getting to hard to hide so I finally told her one night. Not that I’m surprised, but she was very supportive and said our secret is safe with her. Phyllis figured out as well, so that is how our rooms got switched around.”

Patsy was still processing what the welshwoman just said, she was relieved but still worried.

“Patsy, please say something.” tears now streaming down Delia’s face.

“I’m leaving. Again.” the older woman’s fear forced her to change the subject.

“What?” her welsh accent shining through the anger.

“Just before I left for Hong Kong, the matron reached out to me. She said there was a job opening as head midwife.”

“At the London? Pats that’s amazing!” her demeanor suddenly changing to cheerful.

Patsy flenched away from the brunette’s excitement, feeling like she was letting her down again.

“No, in Edinburgh. But before you say anything, remember what I said is true, wherever I go next, you’re coming with me.” the redhead answered.

“Are you sure? I mean I only just finished my midwifery exams and I’m due to start going on my own deliveries now.” her voice filled with a glimmer of hope, but also uncertainty.

“You could also work at the hospital. Matron said Edinburgh needs more nurses and midwives. I’m not the only one who got an offer.”

Knowing the nuns were outside and no nosy midwives were about to make their way in for a spot of Horlicks and to gossip, Delia kissed Patsy. Relaxing into the feeling of warmth and comfort, after letting her eyes dance around her lips all night. Breaking the routine of getting up to wedge the door before doing anything else.

———

_By new years Patsy and Delia had already handed in their notices to Sister Julienne. Expected to leave by mid January. Everyone was sad to see them go, they were showered with well wishes and goodluck. Phyllis and Trixie were especially sad to see them go, but they also understood the most. They didn’t let their selfishness overpower their happiness for the two midwives._

The red oak table was set with the normal cutlery and plates, but covered with desserts and stacked sandwiches. Already taken advantage of by Sister Monica Joan of course.

“We’re going to miss you two.” Trixie said as she pulled away from Patsy, both of their eyes were misty.

“Oh, come here old thing.” Phyllis said as she went in to hug the two midwives.

“I told you it was always worth it.” the older woman winked, recalling the time she told Delia _“The pain it costs, to love. I believe it is always worth it.”_ when she found Delia uncharacteristically low-spirited after Patsy left for Hong Kong. Neither of the women would ever risk telling anyone about the nature of their relationship, no matter how trustworthy they were. But Trixie and Phyllis told them without words that they knew.

As the black taxi pulled away, bittersweet thoughts made their way through the red head. She was once again leaving one of the only places that felt like home, except this time she was leaving with her home. She wasn’t leaving her only family left to go take care of someone who really wasn’t. She didn’t have to force herself to look away from everyone waving so she wouldn’t cry. She didn’t have to feel like she was making the wrong choice. This time Delia was right beside her, not on the other side of the door, having to hide the mental pinch of her girlfriend leaving through her sparkling facade.

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for my first project in my Creative Writing class at school. The prompt I picked was to rewrite an ending/rewrite a scene from a different characters perspective. I’ve been working on it since about August 25th😳. 
> 
> If this seems to be edited weird or doesn’t make sense, it is because it is edited the way my teacher wanted, which I obviously had to do. She said she liked how I described characters (which I felt like needed the most work tbh so that’s good) and that she didn’t expect the ending, but has never seen the show, so sorry if anything seems too basic or over explained.
> 
> I also had multiple scenes in my head I wanted to rewrite, but I picked this one in the end because I was getting too ahead of myself with the others. I might rewrite the other scenes planned later on.


End file.
